Indian nationals will soon receive chip-enabled e-passports that will allow them to pass past immigration checkpoints all around the world with ease. Sanjay Bhattacharya, the Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed the situation in a recent tweet. These e-passports, he claimed, will secure biometric data, be compliant with ICAO standards, and be created at India Security Press in Nashik.
“India will soon introduce next-gen e-passport for citizens. Secure biometric data. Smooth passage through immigration posts globally. ICAO compliant. Produced at India Security Press, Nashik,” Bhattacharya tweeted.
This passport will be implanted with an electric microprocessor chip, making it more difficult to fake passports and allowing international passengers to pass through immigration quickly.
“Citizens will receive chip-enabled e-passports with increased security features from the ministry. The applicants’ personal information would be digitally signed and kept in a chip that would be integrated with the passport booklet. If someone tampers with the chip, the system will be able to detect it, resulting in the passport authentication failing,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha in March of last year.
After it is integrated into the present passport system, all 36 passport offices in India will issue e-passports. The e-passport will be based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, allowing for interoperability across countries.
